A Lurlinemas Party
by RavenCurls
Summary: Galinda thinks that her two best friends are perfect for each other...


**AN : Time flies. It has been more than 3 years since I have posted anything here. A fiyeraba multi-chap will be coming up soon, maybe with another one-shot before that.**

There was only one person in the whole of Shiz who could command the services of the boys from the various schools to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, and Galinda Upload of the Upper Uplands had just done so for her annual Shiz Lurlinemas party.

The party was to take place at the open field next to the Suicide Canal. The field was used primarily for different kinds of sports in the spring, summer and autumn. It was the scene of many competitions, some scuffles among the sportsmen and endless cooing and wistful sighing among the female spectators. But come winter, the bare field would be left alone.

The blonde had charmed, cajoled and commanded about ten boys to be her minions for the day. They broke into pairs to transport the tables and couches from the lounges of the respective dormitories to the Canal. They risked the possibility of being sent to detention by bringing in alcohol from the best bar in Town. Some of them risked their lives to climb up a few tall trees to string up the lights that set the ambiance for the party.

By late afternoon, the area had turned into an open-air dance floor, complete with soft glowing lights overhead (running on Lurlinemas magic, she swore), ample seats all around, a bar serving mainly alcoholic drinks at one corner (ran by Tibbett and Crope) and a band at the opposite corner (outsourced. Galinda had never liked the Shiz school band since she first heard them on her first day at Shiz).

What followed was a few hours of dancing, drinking and munching on too much finger food by the hundred or so students who had stayed in the campus during the holidays.

By the time midnight had come and gone, there were only a few of them left; most of the students had left with aching legs and smiles on their faces, and the place was quiet once more.

"Isn't this perfect?" Galinda asked as she flopped down next to her roommate. She had worn a pink dress with sequins, topped with a fur coat to ward off the cold, but now she shrugged off the coat, fanning herself with a manicured hand.

"Elphie?"

Elphaba looked up, confusion on her face as she took a few seconds to remember where she was.

"What.. why yes.. of course…" she straightened the glasses that had slid down the bridge of her nose as her eyes focused on the goddess before her.

The green girl lifted a finger, ending a spell that had hidden the setup from all staff. The lights that Galinda had sworn was lit by Lurline herself brightened, exposing the leftover finger food and half-empty glasses on the tables.

"Perfect", was the blonde's dreamy response even as she eyed the rubbish that they had to clean up before they retired for the night.

She narrowed her eyes at the item that Elphaba had turned her attention back to a second later.

"You didn't spend the whole night buried in your book, did you?" she asked, rolling her eyes in mock despair. She had been so busy tending to the guests and making sure that there was enough food and drinks that she had forgotten to check on her roommate, instead entrusting the task to someone else in the Charmed Circle who had obviously failed in his job.

The blonde looked around for that particular someone, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Elphaba chuckled and closed her book after marking the page that she was reading with a bookmark. "I promise you that I'll come, Galinda. I didn't promise you that I'll dance."

"She had been reading that book the whole night, clocking an average of 2 minutes per page," Tibbett offered the information, pointing at his watch with the cards that he held in his hand. Crope nodded in agreement as he picked up a card from the deck on the table. They had abandoned the bar counter once the party was over, declaring that they needed a few rounds of card games to reward themselves for a night of hard work.

"Terrible luck today."

Nessa, sitting in her wheelchair between the two boys, tossed out a card before picking another from the deck, and let out a squeal as she showed her cards.

"For Oz's sake, Nessa. Are you trying to win my pants off?" Tibbett snorted with disgust.

"She's trying to win both our pants and shirts off," Crope despaired.

The trio weren't playing for money, of course. But Nessa would be teasing the self-proclaimed kings of cards about their terrible skills for the next few weeks.

"Are you sure today is your first time playing?" Crope grumbled.

"Of course," Nessa replied, batting her eyelids innocently. "I never lie. Right, Fabala?"

The two boys looked at her for confirmation.

Elphaba could not help but laugh.

"Yes, this is her first time playing. But Nessa has been accompanying Nanny for her weekly card games since she was two weeks old."

The boys groaned in unison. They should have known that something was off.

Just then, a group of boys entered the circle of light. They were still wearing the clothes that they had worn earlier during the party, but all of them had rolled up their sleeves before they started to move the furniture back where they belonged. A few of them even have the first few buttons of their dance shirt unbuttoned, though whether it was to cool down their hot bodies or an excuse to show off their biceps was anyone's guess. The leader of the group stood under a string of lights, the diamond tattoos on his forearms glowing incandescent under the lights as he gave a fresh set of instructions. The boys split into two groups, Boq and Avaric helping to pick up the rubbish and empty containers on the floor while the remaining boys went over to the bar counter and stools and started to carry them off the area, while one last boy put the empty wine bottles into the empty boxes for disposal.

"We're almost done," Fiyero Tiggular updated the mastermind of the party or, rather, the mistressmind.

"Really?" Galinda raised a brow. "Are you sure you didn't miss out anything?"

"Of course not," Fiyero beamed with confidence. He looked around. "Almost everything has been brought back to where they came from. I've paid the musicians, and we'll pick up the rest of the rubbish once we've moved the last few couch – " his eyes rested on one of the couches before him, or rather, the girl who was seated on the couch as she listened to the conversation between the pair with interest.

"Oh." He looked at Elphaba, realization and helplessness dawning on his face at the same time, and then looked at Galinda sheepishly. "I mean, I'm sure she preferred to read that book … "

The blonde let out an exaggerated huff and turned to her green roommate.

"Elphie, do you know that it's a Vinkun tradition that a boy must dance with all the girls in a Lurlinemas party or he'll have seven years of bad luck?"

It was Elphaba's turn to raise her brows.

"Really! And you are all that stand between him and good luck for the next seven years. It will be such a waste of effort if he studies so hard in the next semester but fail just because you didn't dance with him." She sighed theatrically.

"Guys! Wait. You can't leave yet!" She hopped out of her seat and ran to the musicians who were already packing their instruments. Out of earshot, she spoke to them and came back looking smug.

"You," she pointed a finger at Elphaba, her other hand on her hip. "And you," she pointed to Fiyero. "Out." She pointed at the dance floor, her voice no-nonsense.

"Galinda.." Fiyero protested, lifting his arm for a sniff. "I'm sure I stink."

"Nowwwwww," the blonde almost growled.

Fiyero looked at the rest of the charmed circle who were looking back at them bemusedly.

He shrugged resignedly at the group and gave a low bow before he put out a hand.

"Miss Elphaba, may I?"

As if on cue, the musicians started playing their instruments. The music was a slow Gillikinese piece, one of Galinda's favourites.

Galinda snatched the green girl's book away, giving her roommate an evil look until Elphaba placed her hand on Fiyero's.

Fiyero made one last attempt.

"I really stink, Galinda."

"Better stink than dead, princey" the blonde said as she shooed them to the designated dance floor.

The prince led the way, bringing Elphaba to the center of the dance floor before he placed her left hand on his shoulder, his right hand on her waist, while his left hand held her right, his fingers curling slightly around hers.

"Ready?" he asked as the musicians started to play the same piece again with no thought to their state of readiness.

"I'll try not to step on your toes," his partner deadpanned.

Fiyero gave her a nervous smile and took the first step. He led the dance, following the flow of the music, moving slowly so that Elphaba could follow easily without tripping. The green girl chewed her lower lip as she looked down at their feet, trying to understand the moves and mirror his steps.

One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four…

"It doesn't seem so daunting," she admitted when she realized after a while that she would not be stepping on his toes tonight. It helped that his fingers which were curled around hers provided subtle hints on where to go.

Fiyero chuckled at the relief in her voice.

A feminine cry came from the table, and they glanced at their friends. Galinda, Avaric and Boq had joined in the game, their back to the couple, and it seemed that the blonde was not having any luck in breaking Nessa's winning streak either. Tibbett looked up and waved, a grin on his face and Fiyero waved back.

The prince of Vinkus led his dance partner into a slow twirl, pulling her closer to him when she came to a rest. Nobody noticed it, but his hand strayed to the small of her back for a few seconds before it went back to her waist as they continued.

"So what is this Vinkun tradition that Galinda was talking about?" the green girl asked.

Fiyero thought for a while before he replied.

"She wanted me to dance with you."

"Dance with me," she repeated. "Why?"

"Promise me that you won't be mad at her."

"Why would I be mad at her?" she asked as she looked at her best friend. The group was engrossed in the game, and no one was looking at them at all. "Please enlighten me."

"She thinks that we're perfect for each other, and all it'll take is one dance before we fall madly in love."

Elphaba raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" She asked after a while. "What gave her that idea? Did all the girls in Shiz drop dead without me knowing?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea what, or who, gave her that idea. But I swear I have nothing to do with it. Maybe it's Boq. Maybe he used you - " he paused, "and me as a conversation starter to get close to her."

She laughed at the idea.

"She claimed that there will be lightning and thunder once we dance. Sizzles in the air. Summer flowers blooming in the dead of winter."

Elphaba looked at the bare grounds around them and the sky above.

"Nope, no flowers. No lightning and thunder either."

The prince smiled at his companion before stealing at glance at their friends.

"She seems preoccupied right now," he commented. "Maybe she'll forget about it."

"She won't. She'll check on you after this," she warned him.

"You can't run away from this either," Fiyero swore.

"I can, and I will. She'll accost you immediately after this dance and interrogate you. She won't do that to me."

He sighed at the possibility.

"I'll run away after this. I'll slip off when no one notices and take the next coach back to Vinkus. I'll disappear like a magician in his final show. She'll never be able to find me again."

His dance partner laughed at his active imagination, her eyes lit up with amusement. Fiyero glanced at the group, and Galinda was looking at them, giving him a thumb up when she caught his eye.

Elphaba followed his line of sight, and the blonde waved to her.

He groaned lightly. "Great, now she'll think that her matchmaking is a success."

"I'll help you," Elphaba offered, the corners of her lips upturned. "I'll tell her that I'm already in love."

"With who?" The prince seemed almost too eager to hear her answer.

"With books, of course. What do you expect? With a girl? That's as impossible as you and Crope as an item."

"For Oz's sake, where did you get that idea?"

The green girl shrugged, but was unable to hide the smirk on her face. Obviously, his single status for the past two years had been the topic of many discussions.

He made a face. "You should put a stop to whoever who's spreading this rumour. This is going to ruin my reputation."

"It was a conversation at the next table in the canteen, and the possibility was dismissed as soon as it was raised."

He mocked a sigh of relief and gave her another twirl, his back to the table of players, looking at that faint smile of hers as she completed the turn.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"What do you think about the possibility of me and Crope?"

"As likely as seeing a rainbow in the middle of the night." She cocked her head slightly. "Or maybe as likely as Galinda owning just one pair of shoes."

He chuckled at her answers. "Or you getting many pairs. Or me passing my exams without your help."

"You should have more confidence in yourself, Fiyero. You're not stupid. Your grades have been improving for the past few semesters."

"All thanks to you."

She shook her head. "The credit is all yours."

"I'm glad you have such faith in me."

"I just have faith in Crope." She changed the topic easily.

Fiyero groaned, and Elphaba chuckled. The song ended, and the musicians started on another piece, but neither of them were aware of the change in tempo.

"So when are we going to tell them?" he asked.

"Tell them what? That you have a crush on Crope or I actually prefer girls?"

Fiyero gave a sad smile. "Fae…" The hand that was on her waist inched higher, a gentle caress, gentle like his kisses, pulling her closer to him. "We can't hide from them forever."

"Yero…" Elphaba looked around, a blush tinting her face.

"They're not looking. And you're not answering me." He looked at their friends who were still engrossed in the game and took the opportunity to brush his lips against the hand that he was holding.

"We can't hide from them forever," he repeated. "And I don't want to hide from them forever."

"I know, but I … "

"I'm sure you know that the longer you delay, the harder it'll be. No matter how bad you think 'Galinda, Fiyero and I have been dating for the past eighteen months' sounds, it is definitely better than 'Galinda, Fiyero and I have been seeing each other. And we're getting married next week.'" He imitated a girl's voice, more Galinda's than Elphaba's, and was glad to see the green girl laugh at his joke.

"We're not getting married next week," she corrected him.

Eighteen months. Time flew, and it felt like yesterday when they both realised that the reason why they both looked forward to their project meetings and study sessions was not just because they (surprisingly) worked well together. The prince's high profile meant that people noticed what he did and who hung around him, and the couple increasingly found themselves hiding either in the library or in his room, using studying as an excuse.

Elphaba still remembered the time when Crope and Tibbett had found out the truth. The two had their doubts on all the extra coaching that Fiyero had been getting. They lured Elphaba into their room before tricking the prince into believing that Elphaba had fallen down the stairs when she was on her way to his penthouse room and had refused to go the infirmary. He had literally flown down the stairs to their room where she was and had nearly swept her up before the duo's laughter stopped him.

_He opened the door on the first knock, as if he had been expecting someone._

"_Elphaba's in my room," Crope spoke before the prince could open his mouth._

"_What?"_

"_She fell down the stairs – " Fiyero did not wait for Crope to complete his sentence, but instead pushed him aside and ran down the stairs. _

"_I think she broke her leg!" Crope hollered after the prince, determined to deliver the script that he had spent half the night crafting. "She's in so much pain she can't speak but she refused to go to the infirmary! She's in a lot of pain!"_

_He thought that the prince did not hear him, but grinned when the former jumped off the last two steps, almost slipping when his feet landed with a loud slapping sound._

_The door to Crope and Tibbett's room was left slightly ajar, and he barged in without knocking._

_She was on one of the chairs, Tibbett next to her._

"_We're going," he said the moment he knelt next to her, his hand on her knee._

"_Go - what?"_

"_Don't be stubborn. Crope told me all about it. You're going to the infirmary."_

"_I'm not going anywhere."_

_He pulled her to him, putting his arm under her shoulders and was about to put his other hand under her knee when she jumped out of the chair in frustration._

"_Fiyero, what do you think you're doing?"_

"_I'm – " he dropped his jaw at his girlfriend standing on her feet. "You're standing!"_

"_Of course I'm standing. What – " the couple starred at their friends who had bent over, their hands muffling the laughter that was threatened to be heard._

The two boys had teased them mercilessly for the next few days but became their accomplices after that, providing alibi for the couple on many other occasions.

"We don't have to let everyone know, just the few of them. Galinda really thinks that we are perfect together."

She rolled her eyes at the statement.

"But it's so peaceful right now. No makeover sessions, no interrogation when I want to sleep, no double dates…"

He smiled at her list.

"No planning for our wedding," she added.

It was his turn to laugh, and their friends turned around at his sudden outburst. He waved at them.

"Maybe we'll tell her after she has boarded her train for Frottica tomorrow, when the train is leaving the station. You can write her a note and ask her to read it only after the train has left the station," he suggested. "That will give us another few weeks of peace."

"There's no way she will wait for that few weeks. She'll jump off the train."

"Then get her to read the note only after the train has picked up speed."

"She'll get off at the next stop and take the next train back."

"Maybe you can magick all the tickets into thin air." He laughed at his own idea. "Though I think it'll be easier if I snap up all the tickets."

"That's a lot of tickets, Yero."

"I know. But you also know that I'll do anything for you."

She blushed prettily, knowing that what he said was true.

"Or maybe…" he paused, suddenly realizing that the music was no longer playing. They had been dancing without music for some time, their feet moving to their synchronised heartbeats, to their pulse. He let go of her hand. "You know, maybe there's no time like now."

"What?" Her voice came out soft, surprised.

"Now," he repeated. "Galinda is going to interrogate me tonight anyway, so I might as well make it worth the while." He looked at her.

"Now?" His girlfriend echoed, as if she did not understand the meaning of that word.

"Elphaba, I don't want to hide anymore. I want to hold your hand in public, to sit next to you. I want to be able to pull you into my arms anytime I want. I don't want to pretend that I didn't see the way you look away when the other girls try to flirt with me. I want you to kiss me silly in public and show the whole world that I'm yours. And I'm yours."

Elphaba laughed softly as she shook her head at his justification, and his heart swelled at the sight of her smile, at the way her fingers brushed against the hair at the back of his neck lightly as if there was no one around them.

Perhaps it was Lurlinemas. Or maybe Lurlinemas magic really existed, for Elphaba looked up at him, her head cocking slightly.

"You want me to kiss you silly in public," she said, her lips upturned at the corners.

He nodded. "Yes, kiss me silly. Kiss me until my legs turn into jelly. Until I swoon," the scandalecious prince said.

"I have to admit this, Yero, but that is a very tempting idea."

"Then let's do it," he affirmed his decision. "We'll go over, and we'll tell them together. Right now."

Elphaba looked at the boy before her, at the earnest expression on his face. She chewed her lip as she thought about his suggestion, turning the idea over and over in her head. And then the green girl gave a nod as she reached for his hand.

"I guess there's no time like the present," she said.

Fiyero smiled as he intertwined their fingers. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

"Come on," he said, and the couple made their way over to their family and friends.


End file.
